Most people with access to modern news and information realize that exercise and diet are important to lifelong health. However, not many people really understand why. Understanding how exercise and diet affect your health can help you set up your own program of fitness and nutrition that best addresses your needs.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise increases your heart rate over an extended period, strengthening your heart and other parts of your circulatory system. Cardiovascular exercise has been linked with a reduced chance of heart disease, increased oxygen flow to the brain and healthy body weight. Examples of cardiovascular exercise include running, cycling and swimming. A disadvantage of cardiovascular exercise is that it can be time-consuming, as compared to some strength-building workouts. Health writer Dr. Mehmet Oz also notes that excessive cardio workouts can be hard on the knees and hips, leading to a reduced quality of later life.
Resistance Exercise
Resistance exercise builds strength and muscle mass by putting muscles through their regular range of motion under more weight than they are accustomed to. Advantages of improved muscle strength include protection from injury, increased metabolism and --- in many cultures - improved physical attractiveness. Although this last may not seem like a health benefit, a good personal body image has been shown to reduce incidence of eating disorders, depression and anxiety. Some resistance exercise plans do carry an elevated risk of injury due to the weights being lifted.
Diet And Nutrition
You eat to provide your body with the raw energy and materials it needs to live and function. Performance athletes eat a diet specially formulated by professional nutritionists. For regular folks, the best practice is to follow the suggestions of the United States Department of Agriculture or Harvard food pyramids. Both of these programs suggest healthy proportions of specific types of food. Dr. Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health also suggests a daily multivitamin to help fill in any nutritional holes in the food you eat.
Diet and Weight
Research reported by Willett demonstrates a nearly one-to-one correlation between body weight and lifespan. As people approach healthy body weight, their risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer correspondingly go down. Eating the right number of calories for your lifestyle can help you stay at a healthy body weight. The USDA recommends a baseline diet of 2,000 calories based on an adult with a sedentary job who gets two to three sessions of vigorous activity each week. More active people will need more, and less active people should eat fewer calories.
References
- "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy"; Walter Willett, et. al; 2004
- "You: The Owner's Manual"; Roizen & Oz; 2006
Member Comments